With nearly a quarter of a century in Hollywood, McG is returning to his Newport Beach roots.
The Uglies director’s River Jetty Restaurant Group has been tapped as the new operator of The Lido Theater as it reopens following a restoration to its original Art Deco design, just in time to host screenings for next month’s 25th Newport Beach Film Festival.
“I grew up in Newport Beach and have a lot of great memories of The Lido,” said McG in a statement. “It’s one of the coolest things about Newport, and I love the idea of giving back to the community by bringing in eclectic new programming. I’m excited to help usher in a new era of entertainment at The Lido, especially now that it’s been restored and is more beautiful than ever.”
Born in Michigan, McG (real name Joseph McGinty Nichol) grew up in Newport Beach, where he attended Corona del Mar High School with Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath. He produced the group’s 1995 debut album Lemonade and Brownies and directed their ‘Caboose’ video, going on to conceive visuals for the likes of Korn, Cypress Hill, Sublime, Smash Mouth and The Offspring.
After Drew Barrymore discovered his videos, he made his feature directorial debut with Charlie’s Angels in 2000. He’s since gone on to helm such movies as We Are Marshall, Terminator Salvation, This Mean’s War, The Babysitter, Family Switch, and most recently, Netflix‘s Uglies. McG has also been in final talks to direct the upcoming KISS biopic Shout It Out Loud.
The crowd during the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival at the Lido Theater on April 26, 2008 in Newport Beach, California. (Ryan Miller/Getty Images)
“My career started in Newport Beach as a music producer and video director, and while I now focus on producing movies, operating The Lido is the perfect intersection of my passions – movies, music, and hospitality,” said McG, whose River Jetty Restaurant Group is named after a local surf spot. “The Lido is now an elevated entertainment venue that will be the heartbeat of the community.”
He continued, “As a teenager, I saw Midnight Run at The Lido five times in one week and it helped light the fuse of my love for entertainment. This theater is a unique entertainment venue and close to my heart, so I’m excited to reopen it with a mix of live music and movies. We want to provide something for everyone.”
After first opening to the public in 1939, Via Lido Plaza and The Lido Theater were purchased Fritz Duda Company in 1986. The company has recently restored the theater to its original Art Deco design, including a sitting parlor in the ladies’ room named and originally built for Bette Davis.
The Lido Theater is celebrating its re-opening with an open house on Saturday, Oct. 5, before hosting the Newport Beach Film Festival Oct. 17 to 24.